The Sacred Fish

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

The Sacred Fish

One day a brave young fisherman was summoned by his grandfather who said,

“My dear grandson, in spite of your incontestable courage and in spite of your fishing records relative to your friends, have you ever brought home any Walass with you?”

“No.”

“Do you know why? Because that is the fish that protects our family. Once upon a time, when our pirogue sank, all of the people on the boat met their deaths except me. That day, the Walass formed themselves into the shape of a pirogue and took me to shore. Thus the family understood and my father forbade me to touch that type of fish. You, too, should never touch the Walass.”

Since it was a dear fish that the population liked very much, the young fishermen respected the advice of his grandfather until a period of three months during which no fish were to be found in the sea. The fishermen no longer knew where to turn for help. When the young fisherman saw a school of Walass while he was out fishing, he rowed towards them.

Upon his return, the pirogue full of fish was a relief for the villagers. But it was a source of concern and profound fear to the grandfather, who sensed the danger threatening his family.

While he was eating the fish, a Walass bone blocked the young fisherman’s windpipe. No longer able to eat, the young fisherman was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead after an unsuccessful surgery. At the site of the casket in the middle of her courtyard his mother let out her final cry. He had been her only son. The father could not endure the loss of his family and preferred to commit suicide.

Thus, the grandfather approached with his cane, observed the three caskets at length and finished by saying,


“Waki mak dou fanane all”
Better to take the advice of your elders to heart than to ignore them.